Beyond the Norm
by Largo
Summary: Misato has always wanted to fight the Angels herself, but when she becomes able to synchronise with an Eva she finds that the secrets her new power uncovers are worse than she ever expected


**Beyond the Norm**

An Evangelion / Guyver fusion

I don't own either series and this is only for fun and practice.

I'm taking a short break from writing Ranma stuff to try something different to get my groove back. I've recently gotten interested in Evangelion after finally watching the rebuilds, reading the manga and a few fics that weren't just Ranma crossovers and realised just how easy it would be to combine the origins of humanity from both series.

I'm one of the biggest Guyver fans out there but never had any ideas for fics until now. To be honest, this is greatly inspired by the Superwomen of Eva series. Very enjoyable even to me who doesn't generally like Marvel & DC stuff.

As I'm not as familiar with Evangelion as I would like, I wouldn't mind somebody with more knowledge than myself to beta for me. If there's too much ooc (aside from Shinji) by the Evangelion chars let me know.

Some of the Guyver characters may appear, certainly Richard Guyot will. Last thing, Kronos never existed in this fusion as Archanfel was disabled worse by thwarting the arrival of Adam and was never found by Dr. Balkus. However the technology to create Zoanoids was discovered and is in its infancy, of course under SEELE's control. They are generally kept a secret.

* * *

Before the dawn of recorded time, the Gods noticed the Earth's formation and its peculiar chemical properties. They arrived upon this planet and for an untold millennium they laboured to create the base genetic material that became known as Lilith.

From Lilith they created a biological weapon. A weapon possessing the fruit of knowledge, or the intelligence to perform perfect acts of destruction and violence. Humans. But they weren't satisfied. Further processing of the human's flexible genetic material allowed them to create even more powerful beings, all programmed to obey the commands of the Gods. Zoanoids.

One day, they became curious as to how the human weapons they had developed would respond to the most basic of all their weaponry. A biological environment suit, the bio-booster armour.

The results shocked them. It terrified them.

The bio-booster armour increased in strength a hundredfold and became a weapon so powerful it could not be defeated by normal means. The armour possessed the outstanding fighting capabilities built within itself and more frightening to them, the bio-booster armour freed the human from their control. They labelled it Guyver, or out of control in their language and considered it a demon.

They fled this Earth while creating a weapon capable of destroying all they had developed, and thus the white moon arrived.

- Excerpt from the Dead Sea Scrolls.

* * *

The train shuddered to the surprise of its lone passenger and the young Shinji Ikari grunted as he had to tighten his grip on the seat at the sudden change in the carriage's speed. He lifted his eyes to take an almost bored glance around as the hanging handholds swung back and forth from the motion. It was only the train slowing down he knew as he took a long and deep breath, before his eyes turned to the large metallic container that sat beside him on the seat. The container was triangular in shape with rounded off edges and a handle on one side. There was a bio-hazard warning stamped on the lid. Any normal person would have thought twice about sitting next to something with such a warning but Shinji just didn't care.

It wasn't that he wasn't apprehensive about the case. He just had no idea what his father wanted to do with the contents. All he knew about that was from the simple post card attached to the case when it had arrived at his uncle's home. Shinji reached into his top pocket and pulled it out.

The post card had a picture of a pretty woman wearing shorts and a tiny tank-top leaning forward in front of a blue sports car. A scribbled note on the front said she was going to pick him up at the station and a second with an arrow pointed out that he should pay attention to the cleavage. Shinji frowned at the inappropriate card and flipped it around to stare at the plain print on the back.

"Bring it to me," Shinji muttered. That was it. No explanation. No mention about what it was or why. 'Father,' he thought bitterly as he stared at the text as if he could discern what exactly his father's intentions were from that short sentence.

A squeal erupted as the monorail began braking as it pulled into the station. Shinji slipped the card back into his top pocket and gathered his meagre belongings. For a moment he wondered if he should just discard the case and head home, giving his father the metaphorical finger so to say. 'No,' he decided. For whatever reason, he wanted to see his father again. Even if it were just to get confirmation of what he expected.

With a grunt at the weight of the extra case, Shinji lifted it and walked off the train to the platform. He looked around as he became aware of the unnatural silence and the fact the platform was empty. He glanced around feeling oddly vulnerable standing in the emptiness of the station. Moving down the platform he noticed the board that displayed the timetable of arrivals and departures showed out of service aside from the line he had just gotten off. He passed the turnstiles without incident and walked down the steps that led away from the station. He stopped at the bottom and looked up and down the street. Nobody, not a soul was about, only the sounds of the insects and birds.

Not knowing what else to do as there was no sign of the woman meant to pick him up, he crossed the street to the line of pay phones. He picked up the nearest phone and held it to his ear. To his surprise it wasn't the expected dial tone.

"Due to the present state of emergency, all phone lines have been disabled," the recorded message played. With a frown he placed it back on its cradle.

"All the phones are out, the trains aren't running...and I've an appointment to keep," Shinji sighed as he turned away from the phone. For a moment, just out of the corner of his eyes he thought that he saw a blue haired girl standing alone in the middle of the road, some distance away from where he stood. He blinked and the vision was gone, leaving the only movement the shimmer of the air in the heat. Shinji stood for a moment longer and studied the street as he wondered if the heat was getting to him. That was why when a deep voice spoke from behind him he almost jumped out of his skin in surprise.

"Shinji Ikari?"

Turning to look over his shoulder he saw three large men wearing identical black suits and sunglasses that screamed some sort of agent. They all had a similar broad build and he felt he would be hard pressed to tell them apart.

Turning fully to face the towering men he answered quietly, "Yes?"

"We'll take the package from here," the closest to him stated while taking a step closer.

"D-did my father send you?" Shinji backed away from the intimidating giant that cast his shadow over the short boy. The three men exchanged glances and chuckled as if they were all in on a joke at his expense.

"That's right," the same man replied in a tone that suggested he was smirking even if his face betrayed nothing. "Hand it over."

Shinji felt conflicted. This authority figure was asking for the case he carried and his natural instinct to just do as people asked of him warred with the order he received from his father. "M-my f-father said to I had to bring it," he finally stuttered out.

To his surprise the large man reached out and clamped his hand down on his forearm and pulled Shinji closer. "That wasn't a suggestion."

The sudden noise of jet engines screaming above their heads interrupted them and caused the three burly agents and Shinji to glance up in time to see at least ten VTOL's zoom past in the air. They zipped about moving in formation like a swarm of insects, even as more followed them into view. What came next made Shinji's eyes widen and he had to wonder if he was dreaming the towering colossus that landed hard nearby. The ground shook, bouncing cars on their suspension and windows shattered, spewing shards of glass into the streets.

The Angel looked vaguely humanoid, but deformed like that of child's drawing. It had comically broad shoulders, covered in a bony shoulder pad and spindly arms and legs. Its skin was a dark olive-green and its head placed under its shoulders looked like a bird-like mask.

"Shit! Right on top of us?" the man let go of Shinji's arm in surprise at the sudden appearance of the Angel. Shinji fell back and landed on his rear in the street. He stared up dumbfounded as the squad of VTOL's began unloading all their weaponry at the giant monster. Deafening explosions ripped through the air as for a moment the upper-body of the creature was hidden by fire and destruction. It soon became apparent the attacks had zero effect as the Angel retaliated by holding its odd-shaped hand towards the nearest VTOL and a bony spear shot out, punching through the aircraft's armour as if it were wet paper and seconds later the spear weapon was withdrawn and the craft plunged downwards in an uncontrollable spiral, spewing smoke and flames as if fell.

With a start Shinji realised the aircraft was falling right at them and scrabbled to his feet, clutching the heavy case to his chest and sprinting between the three men. They must have realised at the same time as they also scattered seconds before the burning wreck crashed into the ground where they stood. The VTOL didn't explode until the massive foot of the Angel stamped down on it. Shinji yelped as the shock wave flung him off his feet. He hit the road and covered his head with his hands. The case bounced and skidded to a halt a short distance from him. Shrapnel flew past him and as the winds faded he slowly raised his head so he could roll over to see the monster move away while destroying more of the aircraft.

Guessing the monster wasn't interested in him he scrabbled back to his feet and grabbed the scuffed case. Just as he made to run away another hand grabbed the case as well. It was the man who had demanded he hand over the case to them. His glasses were gone, having been knocked off and he was bleeding from a small cut on his forehead, but otherwise seemed unhurt. Shinji grabbed the handle with his other hand as well in a futile attempt to hold on to the case.

"Get off you little shit!" the man backhanded him with a blow that made pain explode through his jaw and he lost his vision for a moment. He felt himself hit the ground once again and as the stars vanished from his vision he saw the man had the case. Blinking and feeling groggy from the blow, all Shinji could think of, was what his father was going to say about him losing the case.

"I got the package-" the agent man started to speak into his short distance radio when the sound a car engine gunning distracted him. He glanced up in time to see a blue sports car racing right at him. "What the-" he managed to get out before the car ploughed right into him.

There was a sharp crack and dull thud followed by the screech of brakes as the agent's legs shattered and his face slammed into the bonnet. The car was expertly swung around with a further squeal of tires and the man was flung off to the side where he rolled to a stop and groaned into the road. The metal case landed hard nearby Shinji with a loud crack and it was a surprise that it didn't just smash open from the abuse. The driver's side door popped open and Shinji recognised the woman who was on the post card, even with her wrap-around sunglasses on.

"Sorry for being late Shinji," Misato Katsuragi called out cheerfully, as if there wasn't a battle with a giant monster going on nearby and that she hadn't just run over a man. Shinji managed to blink as a reply. "Come on. Grab the case and get in!"

Finally he shook off his surprise at the rescue and sprang to his feet as quickly as he could manage. He grabbed the case off the ground and ran around the front of the car while making sure he didn't look at the man groaning in pain. He flung open the passenger side door and paused with one foot inside as a strange popping and crunching noise filled his ears along with the groans of the agent changing into more of a growl. Looking over at the agent Shinji could only stare dumbstruck again as the man's body seemed to deform and swell, tearing the seams of his suit. His eyes bulged and discoloured into a mucky yellow as his jaw seemed to dislocate and fill with razor-sharp teeth.

"Uh ho! Get the hell in!" Misato pulled the boy by his shirt sleeve into the car and without waiting for him to get the door fully shut reversed and then with a pull on the handbrake spun it around. Shinji had righted himself as Misato revved the engine and slammed it back into forward gear. Her car shot forward with a roar and for a moment the acceleration pinned Shinji to the seat. Glancing over the back of his seat, Shinji saw the man had climbed back to his feet as the transformation into a bulky green-skinned monster with a thick horn on its head finished. The boy slowly turned back to facing forward and sat down as the monster shrunk into the distance as Misato put plenty of distance between them.

"My, my, an Angel attack and zoagoons? All in one day?" Misato stated in an easy manner as she moved up the gearbox, "Wonder which branch they're working for?" she muttered darkly to herself. Shinji remained quiet as he fastened the seat-belt and just turned to stare out the window. In the distance the VTOL's continued being destroyed by the Angel. "The big thing's the Angel in case you were wondering," Misato explained. Shinji merely grunted in reply. "You don't speak much do you?"

Shinji turned to her before looking down at his knees.

"Geez, I'd have at least thought you'd have asked what those things were," Misato grinned.

"Why? You're an adult. It's not like you'd explain it to me," Shinji muttered.

"Wow, what an odd outlook."

'You're the odd one,' Shinji thought to himself at the bubbly woman who seemed completely unfazed by the day's events. He once more turned his eyes to the giant in the distance where the explosions were tapering off.

"Looks like they're retreating," Shinji pointed out as the remaining VTOL's fled the battlefield. His comment caused Misato to slam on the brakes and she pulled the car over to the verge.

"What're they doing?" she asked grabbing a pair of binoculars and crawling over Shinji. "Hey!" he complained with a half-hearted sigh as the purple haired woman wound his window down and held the binoculars to her face. After a moment she panicked.

"Crap! They're dropping an N2 mine!" Misato flung away the binoculars and pushed Shinji down in his seat as she dived on top of the boy. A moment later the Angel vanished under an explosion as powerful as a nuclear bomb. The sky lit up and soon heavy winds from the shockwave buffered the car, rocking it on its wheel and threatening to overturn it. It didn't take long before the forces lifted the car and flung it over and over until finally it came to a rest on its side.

"Woo, still alive," Misato finally stated once the world ceased to spin. "You okay?" she asked as they lay in a heap against the driver's side window.

"I...think...so," Shinji groaned with blush as his face was resting between the mounds of his impromptu airbag.

"Let's get out. God I hope my car isn't completely ruined," Misato remarked as they untangled and she helped Shinji climb up and out the passenger side. She soon followed him out and stared first at her car, and then how far from the road they had been flung. She turned her eyes back towards where the N2 had dropped. As she expected, the Angel still stood there. The air around it shimmered and glowed with the excess heat left over from the explosion. The Angel had taken damage this time, but not enough to slow it down for long. Shinji stared at the giant standing in the distance and sure enough began to feel that he was in over his head.

"Even an N2 barely scratched it," Misato commented before turning back to her car. "Come on Shinji, I'll need your help to get my car back on its wheels," she stated as she moved over to the car. Placing her back against the roof and getting her hands under it she waited for Shinji to assist. With both of them rocking the car and then pushing with their legs they managed to topple it back over on to its wheels. Misato groaned when the front bumper detached itself on one side, but with a liberal dose of masking tape she soon had it back on. "That'll have to do for now."

They both got back inside and Misato let out a relived sigh when the engine fired up first time. "That was a close one," the Captain nodded to herself. Leaning one arm on the steering wheel she turned to watch Shinji for his reaction. The boy seemed hardly fazed, like he just accepted the situation was something he had no control over. All he did was reach down for the metal case and place it on his lap so he could check the status of it.

"So what's in the box? You're guarding it awfully closely," Misato broke the silence.

"N-nothing. I-I mean, I don't know," Shinji flinched at the question. Then as Misato continued to eye him he explained, "My father wanted it."

"Your father," Misato hummed, not sounding pleased but then she brightened and leaned in close. "C'mon, I bet you've opened it."

"N-no! I wouldn't!" Shinji protested as his heart leaped into his throat from the teasing.

"So you've not peeked? At all?"

"No."

"Aren't you curious? Even just a little?" Misato sang. Shinji looked over at her. She continued to grin from ear to ear. "I won't tell your dad if you don't."

Shinji glanced down at the case and swallowed the lump of apprehension that had appeared in his throat. Then with the enthusiasm of a man led to his execution he placed his thumbs on the release catches and pulled them apart. With a click and the hiss of escaping gases, the case cracked open and chilled air flowed from the gaps. Misato once more leaned closer to Shinji and that was when she caught the movement in the rear-view mirror.

"Shit!" she got out before the green scaled Zoanoid bounded over the car and landed with a thump right in front of them. Misato slammed her foot down on the accelerator pedal and shifted gears but it was for nothing as the seven-foot plus monster grabbed hold of the car's front and sank its clawed fingers deep into the metal. The rear wheels spun but gained no traction as the front end was held and then lifted by the horned beast-man. Shinji yelped and dropped the case which fell open into the car, spilling its contents across the floor.

"You think you can run me over and get away with it you little bitch!" the distorted voice of the Zoanoid growled as he flexed his muscles and fully lifted the car off the ground.

"Get out Shinji!" Misato shouted and scrambled to undo her seat-belt. Shinji didn't need telling twice as he pulled the door open and jumped down. He let out a yelp at landing awkwardly.

With a grunt the Zoanoid swung the car in an arc and let go. Misato felt herself slam into the door from the momentum before the car hit the ground on its side, skidded a few more metres and came to rest upside down. Groaning and catching her arm on shattered glass the captain hissed and tried to right herself. The car suddenly buckled from a powerful blow, bending in the middle and pinned Misato against the steering wheel as the seat crushed into her. More blows rained down on the car as the Zoanoid took out his frustration on Misato and her car.

She screamed as she was slowly being crushed. Then with a final powerful blow she felt her ribs crack from the pressure. Pain shot through her but she couldn't scream, nor could she draw any significant amount of air and soon she tasted blood.

'I screwed up...should have remembered them,' Misato thought weakly through the haze of pain and slow suffocation. Her left arm was still free and she weakly felt about for her gun. Her fingers caught something cool and metallic which clicked down, even with the weak pressure she had applied.

'Eww, what is that?' she wondered as something cold and slimy slithered around under and then over her hand just as she mercifully blacked out.

Outside the car, Shinji picked himself up from the ground. His ankle felt twisted and he winched at putting his weight on it. He had also scraped his palms over the rough ground, leaving them stinging with a sharp pain.

"Ms. Katsuragi," Shinji muttered as he could only stare on, knowing he couldn't do anything about the situation. The mini-Godzilla pounded the car until it looked like it had been in a high-speed collision and not just flipped over. A hand clamped down hard on his shoulder causing him to flinch and look back. It was the other two agents.

"Dammit Gregole!" the one holding Shinji's shoulder called out. "Our client needs the package undamaged!"

"Oh shut up!" Gregole snarled back and took a final bash at the twisted wreck. The powerfully built Zoanoid stormed over. "That bitch broke my freaking legs!"

"Yeah, and if you've broken the package it'll be more than your legs we'll have to worry about."

"Stuff a sock in it Ramotith. The case is armoured. It'd probably survive a bomb going off next to it," Gregole grumbled and folded his thick scaly arms. He then turned his yellow eyes towards Shinji. "What about the brat?"

"We were told to leave him alive."

"Pity," Gregole bared his crocodile-like teeth. "I was hungry." When the only reaction from Shinji was to look at the ground Gregole snorted. "What kind of freak is this kid?"

"Enough Gregole, just get the damned-" Ramotith never finished as a noise like a bowling ball punching through metal cracked through the air, drawing all eyes towards the origin of the sound.

"Huh?" Gregole stated as a heavily armoured fist retracted itself back into the car after punching through the underside and leaving a hole in the metal with torn, jagged triangles pointing skywards. Fingers then gripped either side of the hole and with a squeal of tearing metal the car was smoothly torn in two with the ease of tearing tinfoil. Glass and plastic scattered, revealing the armoured figure that stepped forth from the ruins. Thick, heavy and purple in colour armour plates covered its body and they clanked as they rubbed against each other with each movement. A dull thump accompanied every footfall indicating that even though the approaching being was female shaped and barely touching six-foot tall minus the backwards sweeping horn above its head; it was pure muscle and thick chitinous armour plating.

"Well, well, well," Gregole grinned toothily and thumped a fist into his palm. "Look what that skinny bitch was hiding under that dress. Time for a little payback."

Shinji stared at what could only have been Misato and a faint, barely visible smile touched his lips even though he stood caught in a bizarre face-off. Misato's armoured form came to a halt a few feet away from the car and paused, standing completely still. A solid glassy material covered each eye. They glowed a deep red, giving the impression that they wouldn't have looked out-of-place on a robot. The groove between the metallic orb centred on her armoured forehead and the outer ring around it flared with a bright white light, followed quickly by the vents on either side of where her mouth would have been venting superheated waste gases.

"Careful Gregole, I don't like this," Ramotith stated as something about the smooth controlled movements of the armoured female seemed off, almost robotic.

"You think I'm scared of this tiny bitch?" Gregole grunted, and then he shouted at Misato. "I'm gonna enjoy breaking your legs."

There was no reply as she just continued to stand silent and unmoving like a stone sentinel.

"Tch," Gregole took her silence as a personal snub, as if he weren't enough of a threat to care about. With a roar the strength type Zoanoid charged head-down at the unmoving figure, intent on spearing her with his horn.

'There's no way she can avoid that charge now,' Ramotith thought as Gregole was almost on top of her, and still she had not reacted. 'Does she not see him?'

As Gregole closed the distance between them, the pair of metallic spheres set in grooves on either side of the top of her head rotated and slid back and forth, analysing the Zoanoid in more detail than the five human senses were capable of. The sensor spheres collected the data on the charging monster and sent it to the control medal where it was then processed. Body composition, internal organs, mass, temperature and weak-points got calculated and the response to the threat was decided in less than a second. The control medal flashed once more as her head snapped up and round towards the threat, even as her fingers closed into a fist and arm pulled back, and then launched forward.

Gregole didn't know what hit him. All he knew was the pain that exploded in his face as his nose collapsed under the force of an unseen blow, seconds before his skull fractured and splintered into a jelly-like consistency. Then there was nothing.

"What the?" Ramotith gasped as at the last possible second the armoured woman had snatched victory from the sure jaws of defeat. It looked almost comical as Gregole's legs and body tried to continue moving forward from the momentum of his charge, even though his face was still full of armoured fist. Another recalculation by the control medal caused the armour to open Misato's fingers, grab the disintegrating skull and with a display of strength ceased the heavy creature's forward momentum. She held Gregole up for a moment before she slammed his body into the ground with enough force to leave an imprint in the hard earth and what was left of his brains to explode outwards in a red splash of gore.

The armoured female slowly straightened back up and turned to face the spectators with blood dripping from her hand. The remains of Gregole began to bubble as the programmed cellular breakdown upon death kicked in. Ramotith and his fellow Zoanoid exchanged a look with each other. Then as one they turned and fled, running for their lives as they both knew neither one could match Gregole's strength and this thing before them had crushed him like he were nothing.

Shinji turned to watch the fleeing men and missed the red glow fading from Misato's eyes. She woke up.

Misato blinked, or at least the control medal cut her vision for the time her mind expected a blink to take. In the distance she could still see the Angel, but felt as if she had just missed some momentous event as the last thing she remembered was being in her car. Shinji was standing nearby and looking the other way from her, and...

"Shinji, where'd the Zoanoids go?" Misato called out, her voice sounded flanged while looking from side to side. She missed the corpse of the Zoanoid as its body had mostly broken down, leaving only a quickly shrinking puddle of decaying cells.

Hearing his name, Shinji spun back to face Misato's armoured form. "Is that really you Ms. Katsuragi?" the boy pointed at her and Misato mistook the pointing finger as a sign that she should look behind her. Spinning around she went stock still as she took in the sight of her car broken in two pieces.

"M-m-my...Oh my God! My car! I still have thirty-seven payments left on that!" Misato shrieked slapping her hands to her cheeks in a girlish display of horror that looked out-of-place on the killing machine she had become. That was the moment she realised something was off about her body.

'She turns into an armoured monster and is only bothered about her car? Yeah, she's a weird lady,' Shinji thought lowering his finger.

'Oh God...' Misato thought feeling numb as she lowered her hands and stared at her palms. A mass of cords of some brownish muscular looking tissue covered them. Flipping her hands around and then back revealed the armour on the backs of them. She flexed her fingers on her left hand and then right just to make sure what she was seeing and feeling was real. Then looking down at an armoured chest she reached up and cupped the heavy plating over her chest.

"Oh...God..." Misato finally stated as a blind terror and a scream began to build in her chest. She felt herself starting to hyperventilate. 'I'm...not human...a monster! I've become a monster! Like them!'

Finally it became all too much for her and Misato let out the boiling emotions inside her in a blood curdling scream. She stumbled back clutching her head in horror.

The control medal reacted to its host's fear and desire to return to normal and flared once more. A glow travelled down all the joints in the armour plating and then with surprising speed the armour and corded muscular substance exploded off her. Her eyes had already rolled back in her head as her mind shut itself down to protect itself. She fell backwards until she hit the ground and laid still.

Shinji watched her fall with an impassive expression then turned his eyes towards the floating strands and armour plating that as suddenly as it had jumped off Misato pulled itself back together, reforming into the full body shape. It hovered about the ground with its head lowered and arms held against its sides while glowing with a ghostly light. Then the armour began to sink into the ground, passing through it as if it weren't there. Shinji waited a moment before walking over to Misato. He knelt by her side and watched her sleep with curiosity.

_

* * *

_

_The sky burned red. The harsh colour spread and devoured the blue, as if it were a bleeding wound rent by the claws of some demon pumping blood over a bed sheet. To her as she was half dragged, half limped along from the pain it truly was a demon, even though wings like those of an angel appeared in the bloodied sky._

_Pillars of blinding white energy erupted from the ice, melting it and sending it buckling and cracking. She stumbled as the ground shifted under her feet, only the arms of her father kept her going. She felt herself be lifted up and placed into a container as the power intensified. See saw with horror her father's skin boiled away by the light as a small cross fell towards her. She reached out to grasp the falling silver._

_Her hand caught it, but it wasn't hers. It was that of a monster. She turned it around so the cross lay on her corded palm and saw the symbol of faith bubble as it evaporated away as if her very touch could destroy. Then the brightness flooded over her. She couldn't scream or move and soon the light faded leaving her suspended above an ocean of blood. She could once again move and turned her head towards the light that pulsed from behind her; and saw her wings..._

"No!" Misato bolted awake by fear and adrenaline. She sat forward, still reaching out as she had in her dream and her heart continued to hammer in her chest. Her first action was to bring her hand before her face and examine it as if she had never seen it before. Much to her relief it was normal, if clammy with a cold sweat. Shaking she reached for the cross around her neck and sighed in relief as her fingers closed upon the familiar cool metal of the necklace.

The dream had come again, but this time the ending had been far, far worse. Familiar emotions of fear and hate bubbled up, but this time accompanied by a new self-loathing and they threatened to flood the walls of the dam she had erected to contain them. The fingers on her other hand gripped the thin sheet covering her. So caught up in the various emotions her dream had stirred up she almost missed the door to the small recovery room open.

"You're awake then," the statement drew Misato out of her downward spiral and she looked across the room.

"Ritsuko," Misato acknowledge in a tiny voice as the faux-blonde scientist shut the door behind her and walked over to the bed. She carried a clipboard tucked under one arm. "How'd I get here," Misato asked and trailed off as her memories returned with a bang. "The Angel! Shinji!" the purple-haired woman panicked and tossed off the sheet.

"Relax. It's been taken care of," Ritsuko stated.

"What?" Misato paused in the middle of swinging her legs off the bed and raised her eyes to stare at the other woman in surprise. "How? What? When?"

"The Angel is dead. We won this round."

"But Rei is still hurt. She couldn't have piloted...He didn't?" Misato jumped to the only conclusion that made sense to her with the limited information available. Commander Ikari had forced Rei to pilot in her injured state.

"No he didn't," Ritsuko assured. "Shinji saved us."

"Shinji?"

"It seems the Commander brought him in to pilot Unit-01."

"You're kidding, right?"

"I thought it was crazy as well when Commander Ikari announced the idea, but..."

"But?"

"He hit a sync ratio of sixty-three percent on his first time in Eva," Ritsuko explained with a small shake of her head.

"Y-you're joking..."

"Not only that but he didn't fight too badly either. You'll definitely want to review the recordings of the battle. I think Shinji knew what his father expected him to do, and I get the feeling the Commander's been planning this for a while. It certainly shut up those UN generals."

"Damn, wish I'd seen that," Misato smiled a faint smile. Then her face fell into a frown and she looked down at the thin hospital gown she wore. "How'd I get here? The last thing I remember is..." Her eyes widen in terror as she remembered staring at her armoured hands in horror and seeing a monster.

"Is what?" Ritsuko asked clinically as she positioned the clipboard so she could take notes.

Memories of the chase, the Zoanoids, the Angel, the feeling of being crushed alive and finally waking up as a...thing, flash though Misato's head. "The...N2 shock-wave caught...us," Misato answered. She knew her excuse was lame but she couldn't bring herself to say what she didn't want to believe.

"I see. We tracked you down by the GPS in your cell phone when you never arrived on time. Luckily we got you both back here before the Angel caused too much damage," Ritsuko wrote something down. The scratching of her pen seemed too loud to Misato as she held her breath and waited to see if the scientist believed her. "You don't remember anything else?" Misato shook her head and prayed Shinji hadn't mentioned what had really happened.

"Well, I guess you're suffering from a short-term memory loss," Ritsuko spoke and Misato's heart leaped into her throat.

"I-I..."

"Shinji mentioned a group of men after the case he was bringing. Said one changed into a monster and attacked you in the car."

"A Zoanoid," Misato winched in remembered phantom pain.

"That's our thoughts as well," Ritsuko nodded taking Misato's words as a question not a statement. "And it explains the state we found your car in. You were lucky to not be hurt worse."

"Ah...yeah. Lucky!" Misato felt relief flood her. Shinji hadn't told them. 'Why?' She wondered.

"The Commander's ordered a complete blood test on all personnel in case we've been infiltrated. I've already done yours." Misato blinked and glanced down at her left arm and spotted the small bruise under her bicep and fear bolted though her again. "You're clean."

"Oh," the captain let out a relived sigh at knowing that if anything was odd about her Ritsuko would have picked up on it. She felt a lot better at knowing that.

"You've not been drinking so much lately have you? I noticed a decided lack of alcohol in your blood," Ritsuko teased.

"Haha," Misato stuck her tongue out. "Do you think there might be some Zoanoids here?" she turned serious.

"Doubtful, but you can't assume anything these days. Most of the UN and other NERV facilities employ them."

"Not that I'm complaining, I wouldn't work with someone who throws away their humanity, but why doesn't Commander Ikari use them?"

"Simple," Ritsuko smiled. "Eva is far superior."

"Yeah, imagine sending Zoanoids at an Angel," Misato snorted. "That would be like using bows and arrows against a tank."

"True. Although, the technology to produce them is interesting."

"Just please don't start making your own Rits," Misato climbed off the bed. The floor was cold on her bare feet and she shivered. "Are my clothes about?"

"Top drawer," Ritsuko pointed out.

"Thanks," Misato pulled the drawer open and gathered her clothes. "Oh God, this dress is ruined," she complained holding the damaged garment to the light before laying it down on the bed and stripping off the flimsy gown. She soon had her underwear on and while fastening her bra she winced as the straps made contact with the twin cluster of three growths on either side of her spine, sitting in the middle of her trapezius muscles. Ritsuko watched the other woman with a calculating gaze that never left those slightly inflamed lumps.

"Your back's sore?" Ritsuko asked and made a few more notes.

"Yeah, must have caught it when the car flipped," Misato rolled her shoulders before stepping into her dress and pulling it up. She carefully zipped the back up and then threw on her red jacket.

"That's possible," Ritsuko scribbled something else.

"So, where's Shinji?"

"He's waiting outside. I think you made quite an impression on him," Ritsuko smiled.

"Huh? Really?"

"Yes. He told the Commander straight up he would pilot only because he owed you."

"H-he did?" Misato boggled. Then felt worried about her secret and proud at the same time that Shinji had chosen to pilot because of her and save them all. She strode over to the door to the room and opened it. Shinji stood across from the room and had his back to her. He was staring out into the Geofront, one hand resting lightly against the window and appeared lost in thought.

"Hi Shinji!" Misato greeted with a wave and moved over to stand beside him.

"H-hello Ms. Katsuragi," Shinji greeted back as the woman joined him at the window. "Are you feeling better?"

"Call me Misato, and yeah I feel much better. Even better to learn you saved all of us from the Angel. Thank you."

Shinji didn't seem to react to the praise, merely continued to stand and keep his eyes down. Misato frowned, but before she could say anything, a rattle and the squeak of wheels moving closer drew their attention to further down the corridor. They saw a nurse and a doctor guiding a bed along.

"Rei," Misato recognised the pale skinned girl, covered in bandages as the bed passed them. Rei's unbandaged red-eye moved to study them for a moment as the bed passed by. Her face remained passive, but her eye narrowed a tiny fraction in thought and for some reason Misato felt an odd itch at the back of her mind. Then it was gone and the bed continued on. "Poor girl," Misato remarked as she saw how Shinji was looking at the injured girl intently. "She's the pilot of Unit-00. She was hurt during an activation test. If you hadn't come I bet the Commander would have sent her to fight the Angel instead, even like that."

"Oh," Shinji's reply was quiet. His eyes widened as his father stepped out of a side-corridor and halted the procession to lean down and ask the injured girl something. She replied and faintly smiled but they were speaking too low to make out. As if sensing his son watching, Gendo looked over for a second then stood up straight. Father and son stared and then Gendo turned away. The bed began moving again as he took the head of the procession.

"Such a cold man. Surely his son deserves a kind word or two after saving us?" Misato said, feeling saddened by the Commander's actions, but not at all surprised. She noted with concern the way Shinji clenched his fists as if fighting some urge he wanted to act upon. Then he relaxed.

"I'm...used to it," Shinji muttered, lowering his eyes and dropping back into silence.

"Still...hey Ritsuko, does Shinji have a place assigned to live yet?"

"It's already taken care of. He's been assigned his own home," Ritsuko replied.

"Alone?" Misato wondered with a finger to her chin. "Are you okay with that Shinji? Living on your own?"

Shinji shrugged.

"If you ask for it, I'm sure you could arrange to live with your father," Misato suggested. Ritsuko would have rolled her eyes at the other woman's misplaced attempt to cheer Shinji.

"Nah, that's alright. I guess I feel more at ease alone, and I don't think he wants me around."

"Oh come on now, it's only natural that parents and their children live together," Misato tried again.

"Don't! It's none of your business Misato," Shinji snapped with surprising heat in his tone, making the Captain's face fill with surprise.

"Hey! What's with that tone of voice? I'm just worried about you."

"Don't be," Shinji growled.

'Uh ho, here we go,' Ritsuko mentally groaned at seeing Misato's determined expression and just knew she was going to do something rash.

"So gloomy. It's like some kind of mood disorder," Misato ground out. "I'll fix that personality of yours," she promised in a tone that spoke of doom.

"Huh?"

"Hey Rits," Misato spun on the Doctor. "Shinji's going to be living with me in my condo. Would you go tell upstairs that. Thanks."

"Now wait just a minute!"

"What? Who are you to make decisions for me?" Shinji asked. He sent a glare at Misato.

"Which part of 'commanding officer' didn't you understand?" Misato growled in such a no-nonsense tone that it froze Shinji in place. She grabbed his wrist and with a cheery announcement of, "Today we're going to party!" she dragged him off. Ritsuko palmed her face and sighed. Seconds later her phone beeped with a message.

She retrieved the device and flipped it open to read the simple message that stated, "Report to my office." She didn't need to guess who that was from.

* * *

To say people hated the Commander's office was an understatement. That dark and large room with only a desk near the top of the Geofront pyramid had long since descended into legendary status. Rumour had it there were trapdoors in the floor and Gendo's own personal ninja hid in the dark ready to off anyone he didn't like.

Ritsuko knew that wasn't true, and even if she were sleeping with the man himself, his office never failed to elicit the feeling of tininess it meant to produce, especially as you stood before the Commander with his hands folded before his mouth and glasses hiding his eyes, in what had come to be known as 'The Gendo Pose.' Sat on the edge of his desk was the battered case that Shinji had brought. Light from the monitor built into the Commander's desk reflected off his glasses, just enough to allow Ritsuko to figure out what he was watching, the footage of Misato's fight with the Zoanoid. His ever loyal second in command, Kozo Fuyutsuki stood to the side and behind Gendo. His features schooled.

"So the Captain has decided to take care of the Third Child," Gendo broke the uneasy silence after letting Ritsuko stew for the desired length of time.

"That's what she said," Ritsuko confirmed. "Should I intervene?"

"It's of no concern where he lives, so long as he pilots. I'm more interested in the effects this has on the Captain. Your analysis Dr. Akagi," Gendo hit the pause button.

"I've had the MAGI do an analysis of her blood and DNA. There are no anomalies in her bloodstream that it can detect. One hundred percent human and completely matches the records on the captain."

"At least from a simple blood test," Gendo stated what was on Ritsuko's mind, as if he had read it

"Yes sir."

"Has any trace of the unit been found?"

"No sir. The team is still going over the area with fine-tooth comb but so far there is no sign of it. It did not hide itself under the ground as we first expected. I'd hazard a guess that it can access and perhaps hide itself within a Dirac Sea."

"A transdimensional being," Kozo remarked, impressed despite what the unit represented.

"Is Captain Katsuragi aware of her...condition?" Gendo asked.

"I believe so. Or at least she remembers it like a dream. She skirted around my questions about her experience."

"As expected from her. Your opinion?"

"As far as I can tell she is her normal self. Again, it would take deeper testing to see what changes have occurred in her. The only outward signs of change in her physiology are the growths on her back."

"I assume you took a cell sample."

"I tried. The cells broke down before we could analyse them," Ritsuko explained.

"Programmed cell death if removed from the body," Gendo stated and Ritsuko nodded in agreement. "Any idea on what these growths are?"

"From a quick glance they're a new form of organ. Whatever their purpose is, I don't know yet. But they're connected directly into Captain Katsuragi's nervous system and receive blood flow, yet aren't affecting her genetics. However, they definitely do something."

"Very well, for now keep a close eye on her for further changes. Arrange a full medical for her within the next few days. I want to know the full extent of the changes to her. Dismissed."

"Sir," Ritsuko bowed and left.

"Is this wise? Letting Captain Katsuragi just continue on as normal?" Kozo asked once the doctor had left.

"For now, we'll observe her closely in case of further changes."

"And the scenario?"

"In the long-term it's of no importance. In the short-term, it brings some of my plans forward, a problem but not insurmountable."

"You were planning to activate one anyway, weren't you?"

"Of course."

"SEELE will be livid. Losing a unit will be bad enough when they find out, but to have a herald of 1st impact active..."

"Guyver may have been the reason behind the arrival of the white moon, but it was God's will that caused it. We are in no danger of a repeat performance any time soon."

"A flimsy argument."

"It's enough, and losing one of the units changes nothing. We have an inactive and active unit to analyse at our leisure. We can proceed to see if they are of any use with the Eva's."

"And what if captain Katsuragi is...difficult?"

"While the Angels still exist her loyalty won't waver. NERV and Eva are her only options to strike at those she hates. She is easy to predict and control, especially if this grants her a more direct way to fight against the Angels."

"Do you really think you can control something that even God labeled out of control?" Kozo Fuyutsuki stared down at the screen showing the bio-boosted form of Misato.

Gendo reached across the dress and dragged the unit's container to sit before him on his desk. He popped the latches and lifted the lid and smirked at his reflection on the control medal of the remaining inactive unit. Finally he spoke, "How hard can it be, when man already controls God?"

* * *

"Oh my God! I forgot!" Misato cried at seeing the garage was missing her car. "Damn those freaks!"

'Weren't you the one to destroy it?' Shinji was fortunate to have not given voice to his comment. He watched and waited for the Captain to vent her rage as she kicked one of the barriers repeatedly.

Misato finally huffed and turned back to boy. "Oh well, guess we'll just have to take the monorail home. Come on," she moved off towards the elevators that would take them to the surface. They stepped in and Misato set the lift off. They stood in uncomfortable silence as the floors passed by.

"So," Misato broke the silence after eying the quiet boy for a moment. "What party food do you like?"

"What's to party about?" Shinji sighed.

"Well, my new roommate's welcoming party of course," Misato grinned. Shinji didn't reply and she didn't try to strike further conversation. She had to bite her tongue for the remainder of the trip to the surface as she wanted to ask Shinji about why he hadn't mentioned her 'experience' to anyone, but didn't feel safe discussing it inside NERV.

Once outside they walked the short distance to the monorail station and boarded the next train to the area where Misato lived. The pair stood holding the handrails and watched the city pass by under the sunset.

"Hey, Shinji?" Misato turned to the boy.

"What?"

"Keep watching. It's about time," the Captain smiled.

Shinji wondered what she was up to and it caught him by surprise as a building began to rise as the train passed by. Then further buildings all began rising.

"The buildings are rising from the ground?"

"Not just any buildings, New Tokyo3, the anti-Angel siege fortress. Our city!" Misato smiled proudly. "If you think it looks impressive from here, wait till I take you to my favourite spot."

Shinji remained quiet as Misato added, "The city you defended."

"I didn't defend it," Shinji admitted. "I didn't get into that thing to defend the city. I didn't do it to save humanity as my father stated."

"Or me?"

"Nothing selfless like that. That's just the excuse I used to make it seem like it was my choice," Shinji lowered his head.

"It doesn't matter what your reasons were, you did good," Misato smiled. Shinji looked over to Misato with a calculating look in his eyes she missed. "Shinji, why didn't you tell them everything?"

Shinji didn't reply right away, instead he continued to look out at the changing cityscape. "My father, I doubt he told me the whole truth. If he can keep secrets from me, I can keep them from him."

"You don't like your father?"

Shinji nodded.

"I can understand that. I didn't get on with my own...until..."

"Until?"

"Oh that doesn't matter," Misato dodged the question, not wanting to think about it or her dream. The rest of the journey didn't take long but it was still dark by the time they reached the apartment block Misato lived in. She led Shinji up to her floor.

"I think your stuff should be here by now," Misato stated as the lift doors opened and they stepped out. They found three boxes waiting outside her door. "Hey look, I was right," Misato smiled as she retrieved her keycard from her pocket and swiped it through the lock. "Come on in. Oh, it's a little messy, but...it's home."

They entered and Shinji realised that was an understatement after taking off their shoes and entering the main-room. He stared at the table littered with empty beer bottles and cans. Various dirty takeaway boxes and packaging also covered the surface. Bin-bags rested in a corner and scattered randomly around were various articles of clothing. He spotted a box under the table and various magazines just left on the floor.

'Okay...a little messy?' he wondered in disgust.

"There should be something microwavable in the fridge," Misato smiled as she shifted some of the mess around to get an empty spot on the table.

"Right," Shinji debated asking for a transfer as he picked his way across the room to the kitchen and stared at the fridge. He reached out and took hold of the handle and then held his breath, just in case there was something mouldy living in the fridge. He blinked in surprise at the insides. It wasn't quite what he expected, being full of beer. He looked over his shoulder at Misato and wondered just what kind of life she was living.

Misato was humming a happy ditty away to herself as she lifted packages from the kitchen tops, searching for edible food. With a little "Yeah," she found a couple of instant ramen packages that weren't opened.

"So, what's in the big fridge?" Shinji asked spotting it near the corner. It had an odd little door near the bottom.

"Oh...better leave that one alone. I think he's still sleeping."

"Sleep...ing?" Shinji looked back in confusion and missed the door opening from the inside. When he turned back he came face to face with a pair of beady bird eyes. A penguin, carrying a towel and bathing products stood at the door. Shinji watched the animal rush past him in disbelief and open the bathroom door.

Shinji followed the bird, still not believing what he was seeing. Cracking the bathroom door open he peeked around the doorframe and stared at the penguin relaxing in the bath.

"What the heck is that?" Shinji backed away from the door.

"Isn't he cute? He's a new breed of hot springs penguin. His name's Pen-pen. Say hello to him," Misato announced full of cheer.

"Er...sure."

"By the way, seeing as we'll be living together, there's one thing we need to do."

"Huh?"

"Rock! Paper! Scissors!" Misato leapt forward and waved her fist in a manner which made Shinji flinch away. Misato chose scissors and took Shinji's startled open hand to him picking paper. "Yes! I won! That means you're in charge of Monday morning. Lucky me," Misato sang as she began marking up a quickly drawn chart. What followed was a series of further contests to divide up the chores, most of which Shinji ended up losing. They ate the instant food with Misato doing all the talking and drinking so many cans of beer that Shinji wondered how the woman wasn't unconscious by the time bedtime rolled around.

"Here's your room!" Misato cheered loudly as she showed Shinji the free bedroom. "Now don't bring loads of girls home without permission!" she teased and draped an arm around the boy while running a finger tip down his cheek.

"R-right..." Shinji muttered and quickly escaped her hold and fled into the safety of his new room. Misato grinned in triumph at getting Shinji to lighten up, even if it was only by a tiny amount. "Teehee," she moved back to the main-room. As she yawned and scratched under her left breast a wave of dizziness passed over her. "Whoa, didn't think I drunk that much."

The dizziness didn't abate and she began feeling increasingly queasy. Her stomach lurched, rebelling on her. Her cheeks and eyes bulged. She fled into the kitchen to puke the beer and instant food into the sink. Misato turned on the tap and washed her mouth out and the bile down the drain.

"Oh, I don't feel too good suddenly," she muttered as the room began feeling chilly despite the heat of the evening. She held a palm to her forehead as a headache began at the base of her neck and an ache grew and spread down her back. "Urg, feels like I've caught flu," Misato groaned as the chills turned to heat. "Dammit," she groaned pulling her medicine drawer open and popping a few painkillers. She decided to retreat to her room. Passing Shinji's room, she missed the door crack open a fraction and a blue eye watch her pass. The door quietly shut once more once she was out of view.

Misato groaned and shut her door behind her and had soon crawled into bed, not bothering to undress from feeling really tired. For a while she lay there, alternating between shivering and sweating. Her upper back and lower neck definitely felt the worst. Sleep slowly crept up on her and when it finally took her, she dreamed bizarre and disturbing dreams of Angels, monsters and a tall, powerfully built, dark and spiky figure standing in her room, looking down at her with faintly glowing red eyes and a light like a halo on its forehead.

* * *

The next morning Misato's eyes snapped open and she immediately regretted it as the sunlight was shining right in them, streaming in through the open glass sliding door that led out to the tiny veranda outside her room. The long thin curtains fluttered as a lazy breeze moved them. With a groan she propped herself up.

"I don't remember leaving that open," Misato muttered and rubbed the back of her neck. She still felt tired and achy but nowhere near as bad as when she had dragged herself to bed. She sniffed and smelt a decidedly rank smell. Lifting her arm she checked and sure enough the smell was coming from her.

"Better get a shower, I reek," Misato forced herself to her feet and stripped off the sweaty clothing and tossed it into a corner. She rummaged around in some drawers until she found a clean towel and tossed it over her shoulders. Without a thought about Shinji sharing the apartment, Misato stepped out of her room and went to the bathroom. Soon she was showering. The hot water soothed her aches and she soon began to feel more like a human being again.

"Better, but I'll be even better once I get a beer down me," she grinned as she towelled her hair and exited the bathroom. Returning to her bedroom she threw on a pale yellow vest and short shorts.

"Shinji?" Misato called out as she entered the main-room. Pen-pen warked from over by the couch, then ignored her for the TV. The bird was watching a daytime TV chat programme. Misato soon found a note on the table saying Shinji had gone to school.

"What time is it?" she wondered moving over to the fridge and getting a beer. She pulled the tab and downed a third of the can in one chug. "Yeeeehaw! That's the stuff!"

Misato nodded to herself, now feeling more awake through the power of beer. She glanced at the clock on the wall and was glad she hadn't taken another mouthful of the wonderful amber nectar as she would have lost it in a spit-take. It was nearly midday.

"Oh god! I'm so late!"

Misato raced back to her room and began dressing in a hurry. She grabbed her cellphone and hit Ritsuko's number. The phone rang a couple of times before it she got an answer.

"Misato, I thought you were ill?" Ritsuko's voice spoke from the speaker.

"Huh? How'd you know?" the Captain paused in pulling on her bra with one hand and holding the phone against her ear with the other.

"Shinji told me when I rang earlier with his schooling arrangements."

"He...he did?" Misato smiled at his thoughtfulness.

"Yeah, he's quite responsible isn't he. Certain other people could learn a lot from him," Ritsuko's voice teased.

"Yeah, yeah," Misato rolled her eyes and caught sight of something in the mirror that made her frown. She paused in dressing and turned her back to the mirror to get a good look. A set of three small lumps sat on her back, around the area where she had felt the worst pain from. "W...what are those?" Misato mumbled as she stopped dressing and reached with her free hand over her shoulder to touch one. They looked like hard skin but felt like soft leather, spongy to the touch.

"Oh God," the purple-haired woman gasped as she remembered the dream she had of being one of those monsters over a sea of blood. Wings, was she growing wings? Terror rushed through her.

"Misato? Are you okay?" Ritsuko's voice sounded concerned and it broke the spell that had frozen the Captain.

"Ah, yeah, I'm...fine."

"Did you remember something?"

"Huh? What should I remember?" Misato swallowed.

"Hmm? Still got your memory loss I see."

"Ah...kinda."

"Misato, I'd like you to come in for a full medical checkup."

"Why? I'm feeling loads better now."

"A precaution. We can't have our head of Angel combat falling sick."

"Do I have to?"

"Don't make me use my authority to call you in officially," Ritsuko threatened.

"Damn. Fine," Misato let out a long sigh. "I'm coming in." She closed the cellphone, cutting the call off. She once more turned her attention to the lumps on her back. They hadn't vanished and she wondered if she could hide them with makeup. She discarded that idea as she knew Ritsuko was going to find them no matter what she did.

With the enthusiasm of a condemned man, Misato finished dressing and set off for NERV HQ.

* * *

End Chapter

In case anyone was going to point out, Shinji's sync ratio wasn't a mistake, I know his first time was lower than that in the series.

Now, as to a Guyver fighting an Angel, I doubt a normal Guyver could take an Angel unless the AT field was down and had a clear shot with the Mega-Smasher at the core. However Guyver Gigantic would be quite capable especially with the Gigantic's Exceed form.


End file.
